Fairly new concept to me, what exactly are they composed of & do they actually work?

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They are equipped with CVR/T. In the last round of defence cuts the number of CR2 tanks was reduced and this was done by reducing the number of CR2 Sqns rather than disbanding any more regt's. This new concept was brought in to allow the CR2 Regts to keep the 4th Sqn, keep the manpower in place so that when this "scumbag" Labour government is finally thrown out of office and the mothballed CR2's put back in Service the manpower and logistics are already in place.

Fairly new concept to me, what exactly are they composed of & do they actually work?

Click to expand...

They are equipped with CVR/T. In the last round of defence cuts the number of CR2 tanks was reduced and this was done by reducing the number of CR2 Sqns rather than disbanding any more regt's. This new concept was brought in to allow the CR2 Regts to keep the 4th Sqn, keep the manpower in place so that when this "scumbag" Labour government is finally thrown out of office and the mothballed CR2's put back in Service the manpower and logistics are already in place.

Fairly new concept to me, what exactly are they composed of & do they actually work?

Click to expand...

They are equipped with CVR/T. In the last round of defence cuts the number of CR2 tanks was reduced and this was done by reducing the number of CR2 Sqns rather than disbanding any more regt's. This new concept was brought in to allow the CR2 Regts to keep the 4th Sqn, keep the manpower in place so that when this "scumbag" Labour government is finally thrown out of office and the mothballed CR2's put back in Service the manpower and logistics are already in place.

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My bold. Surely you mean "bought back"?

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We have had an MA Sqn for two years now. The real reason for it was to introduce the new "Medium tank" into Armoured Regiments so that A) it took the starin off the over worked Formation recce regiments, and B) gave BG Commanders some flexibility in choosing what hammer to crack which particular nut.

Unfortunatly, and not at all surprisingly the future MA Platform is well behind schedule (and no doubt over budget) so to fill the gaps the good old CVR(T) has been shoe horned in its place. Quite agree though with the keeping the manning in place so as not to disband Sqns.

Incidentally our MA Sqn was recently attached to an Infantry BG who (through no fault of there own) had no idea what to do with them so initially used them as Heavey Armour ( not ideal in the TES War and then used them to filter into the Recce screen as and when the recce troop CVR were taken out. Seems like there is a lot to learn.

Weren't the Matilda and Sherman classed as medium tanks with the Pershing heavy, history I know but shows there is a difference.

Are we buying new tanks? Or is this a new role for existing hardware?

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The Medium Armoured Vehicle is a drawing on a piece of paper (probably). It was initially a part of the FRES System which i think i am right in saying has all but been cancelled. This was supposed to have entered service very soon. Its all to do with deployabillity, sleeker more mobile and easier to get to hot dusty sheiite holes.

The reality is (and i am certainly not the expert) that there will be no medium armour vehicle for a long time, no doubt allowing the little CVR series undergo its umpteenth mid life crisis, sorry i meant upgrade.

Further to my last post (and having read a little) the Americans have a FRES system in operation at the moment in the form of their STRYKER Platform. The concept is largely as i explained above in that it is rapidly deployable by air. Unfortunatly though due to its very concept ie. lightweight and air portable it is a death trap on the ground to tha crews.

Solution? Uparmour and add bar armour.

Problem? Not air portable anymore and goes by sea along with all the Bradley's and Abrams getting there at the same time.

That and the cost of this potentially inept system was estimated at Â£14 Bn the old CVR(T) looks much more attractive.